2027 Outdoor School Gathering
Join us at Mt. Hood Resort + Camp Arrah Wanna
Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service Outdoor School Program, Friends of Outdoor School, and Gray Family Foundation are hosting the 2027 Oregon Outdoor School Gathering at the Mt. Hood Resort + Camp Arrah Wanna, in Welches, Oregon, in Clackamas County, in January 2027.
To prioritize statewide outdoor school funding for districts amidst funding constraints, we have decided to postpone the 2026 Oregon Outdoor School Gathering until January 2027. While we recognize this means we will not have the same opportunity to connect in person as a full network next year, we hope to create smaller, meaningful opportunities for connection and collaboration in the meantime. We will continue to share updates via email and on the Gathering website over the coming year.
What is the Oregon Outdoor School Gathering?
The Gathering is a 3-day conference to connect and network through dynamic educational sessions, hands-on professional development workshops, and engaging social activities, including field trips. Join us to build community, share knowledge, and collaborate with the broader Oregon Outdoor School network!
2027 Oregon Outdoor School Gathering Goals
-
Build meaningful relationships among teachers, outdoor school educators, providers, sites, and partners to strengthen our shared community.
-
Engage in professional learning around promising practices in outdoor education, classroom-outdoor school integration, business operations, and high school leadership programs.
-
Celebrate 10 years of state-funded outdoor school and continue our work to build inclusive and equitable outdoor education experiences for all students.
We’ve reviewed feedback from last year’s event and are excited to share the improvements we’ve made based on your input:
- We’re expanding recruitment to include a wider variety of outdoor school constituents and roles, such as classroom teachers and school districts.
- The conference schedule has been redesigned with fewer sessions, meaning longer blocks of time for deeper dives into content and meaningful discussions.
- We are specifically looking for session proposals that are hands-on, tangible, and experiential.
- We’re adding more sessions focused explicitly on equity, diversity, access, justice, and inclusion.
- The schedule includes more structured networking and connection-building time to strengthen our community.
Who attends:
- Outdoor school student-facing staff/volunteers
- Outdoor school provider leadership and support staff
- Outdoor school site representatives (facilities, food service, guest services, etc.)
- Classroom teachers
- School/district administrators
- School/district student support staff
Cost information
Registration fees
- Full Gathering: $125
- One Day Only: $50
The registration fees include all program sessions, social activities, meals, and parking during the event. Lodging is not included in the registration fees.
Lodging costs
Mt. Hood Oregon Resort is offering a group rate for Gathering attendees. The rate is $136 per night and does not include taxes (8.01%). Attendees will book lodging directly with the Resort (or may choose to arrange other lodging, also at their own expense). Using state outdoor school funds for Outdoor School Gathering costs
As outdoor school costs have risen, the amount of funding available to directly subsidize the Outdoor School Gathering has decreased. For the 2027 Outdoor School Gathering, we are trying to balance the realities of our budget (including our top priority of sending students to outdoor school) with supporting and encouraging participation in the Gathering from as many educators and community members as possible.
Questions?
Please feel free to reach out with any questions!